Pittsburgh Media Scoops and Gossip
Welcome, newsroom pros and moles. Here's the spot for all the latest dish and debate on what's happening in Pittsburgh media. This is a forum to talk about issues affecting the Pittsburgh media scene.
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ABOUT THE DOG: Since so many have asked, the photo is simply a dog delivering the paper. He has no connection to any past advertising campaigns for any newspaper. He's a nice dog.
- Eberson meets the Comics -- Jer Assic, 01:51:48 07/23/08 Wed [4]
http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/comiccon08/default.aspx
Isn't this nice? The PG sends Eberson, part of the Massey Team messing up PG Features, to Comic-Con with her son. Will the next set of FAS-FAX numbers reveal dramatic improvement from these ham-fisted tries get "young people" to read the dinosaur on the Boulevard? I doubt it.
What's next for Eberson? Counterpart to "J" at the Trib?
I can see it now: "Weekend with 'S'?"
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- Parrothead review reads like parrot droppings -- Rot 'N Roll, 16:20:58 07/23/08 Wed [4]
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08205/898878-388.stm
My favorite passages:
"At around 8:10, Buffett entered the impressive stage to booming elation wearing just a loose T-shirt and Hawaiian-print shorts -- the ultimate in ready-to-chill attire -- and quickly dove into his first set, including consistently rousing versions of his hits "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," "Fruitcakes" and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."
*booming elation?* *consistently rousing?*
"His band, the Coral Reefers, were predictably tight -- they've been doing this rotation of tunes summer after summer -- and retained sublime, subdued countenances that, behind any other front man, might've seemed out of place. But with Buffett leading the way, and playing to an audience doing quite the same, the sly grins and slowly rocking Coral Reefers were the perfect house band."
*Sublime, subdued countenances?*
Yo! Justin! Spin Magazine called! They want their CLICHES back!
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- Looney Rooney Trib Toony -- Hector Peabody, 17:28:50 07/20/08 Sun [10]
Mr. Peabody: Sherman, what in the hell was that Rooney graphic mess on the Trib's Sunday page one. Really, has someone gone off the deep end in the design department? I haven't seen worse since I worked at the Podunk Times in rural Timbuktu where the part-time editor in chief/publisher came in late late every day from his regular job as a clerk at Bernies Dry Goods across town.
Not only did the design of that pinkish, amorphous, incoherent, muddled, hazy hack job blow but the horrid reproduction begs twin articulation as to the previous synonymic description. In short, it all around sucked!
Sherman: Well, Mr. Peabody, maybe if we could use our WABAC Machine to visit the Trib before the snidely management came into being we could alert Dick Scaife to the illogic of relying on pathetic yes men to create his vision of a superior propaganda machine.
Mr. Peabody: No Sherman, the past is immutable. It's paradoxical that we have influenced the Trib's history already, before we realized that we must intervene.
We must have inadvertently created the present day sluggards that dominate the Trib's management.
Sherman: What can we do now Mr. Peabody?
Mr. Peabody: I'm sorry to say Sherman. There is nothing that can be done. It's too late. It's not as simple as the time we proved that Fig Newtons, irrefutably, were invented by the brother of Sir Isaac Newton, Figby Newton. Mmmmm, Fig Newton's, interestingly enough, a confectionary never far from Dick Scaife's heart. Wait Sherman, perhaps I'm on to something.
Sherman: Well, you kinda lost me Mr. Peabody.
Mr. Peabody: Let me explain Sherman. Sir Isaac Newton!!! Perhaps the most important scientist and mathematician who has ever lived! It's all about gravity Sherman. We have to find a way to use gravity to return Frank Craig's and Ralph Martin's brains to earth.
Sherman: Forget Mr. Scaife's, his is too far gone.
Mr. Peabody: Correct Sherman, correct! After all, Scaife believes that he is the author of Newton's quote, "If I saw further than other men, it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants."
Sherman: Scaife suffers from "Proporcio Invertatious Non-Cranial-related Vision". When he sees dwarfs, he thinks he is looking at giants.
Mr. Peabody: Sometimes Sherman, I think you and I have reversed roles. Remember, I am the genius. You are just my pet boy.
Stay tuned for a continuation of this thrilling episode of Peabody's Improbable History, starring Mr. Peabody and his pet boy, Sherman.
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- Steigy on the radio -- slackjawed, 14:14:23 07/22/08 Tue [1]
I occasionally catch steigerwald when I'm doing chores in the basement. His lack of intellect, and sheer uninhibited willingness to display it, is mind-boggling. Last night he challenged a caller to cite his sources for claims he was making about gas prices, a journalistic standard to which steigy never holds himself. Not long after that call S. prefaces a screed by pronouncing, "I read something somewhere that said ..."
Since sports is apparently off the table, how long can this guy last sounding off on weighter issues?
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- Where are the photogs? -- Bearcat, 00:35:02 07/15/08 Tue [7]
Today's P-G has a story by Colin Dunlap in NY and he took the photos. Roddy had a front page story in Sunday's paper and he also had the photo credit. Are P-G writers now combo photogs? I remember years ago when the travel writer was taking his own pics in faraway places and the Guild made a huge stink about it.
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- Rumor of the Week: Trib set to make offer for PG -- Clark (Building) Kent, 12:07:11 07/19/08 Sat [9]
It looks like Scaife is still considering a purchase of the Post-Gazette. Rumor has it, the the Trib would keep the PG separate as the strong morning paper it is and move the Trib, the considerably weaker paper, to an afternoon edition and kill the Trib PM.
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- Millman Part 3-Snobbiness fairly radiates... -- Green Manalishi, 23:33:28 07/20/08 Sun [3]
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08202/897677-51.stm
I guess one can give Her Highness props for even acknowledging complaints and disagreements, but when I read that icy closing, "As for me, I'll continue to indulge in the luxury of generosity," that pretty much invalidates any of the few lame defenses I've seen of her on this site. Dare to disagree with the "Diva of Dining," and she'll put you in your place by invoking "generosity," implying those disagreeing are somewhat "less" generous than she is.
With her nose that far in the air, at least she gets a good view of the sky.
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- Who the f*** are Dan Gigler and Seth Rorabaugh? -- Online but not on board, 21:46:10 07/17/08 Thu [10]
The P-G is making a big deal of new interactive blogs devoted to each sport. OK, good idea. Involve the readers and use the website to its full potential.
Here's the problem. Your Steelers blogger is Dan Gigler and the Pens blogger is Seth Rorabaugh. The P-G has two excellent Steelers beat writers, Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac. They have experienced hockey writers in Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson. Those four probably have nearly 80 years combined on their respective beats. So why does blogging responsibility go to a pair of nobodies who have no experience actually covering the team as reporters? Dejan K and Paul Meyer are handling the Pirates blog, which is the way it should be.
The selling point the P-G has above the other 13,768 Pittsburgh sports bloggers is their reporters have access, experience and expertise. They understand how things work. But instead P-G site visitors get two nobodies on the biggest sports beats in town. If you've read the blogs, it's obvious they're just trying to spin the same tired wise-guy crap that's on countless other blogs and talk shows and they add nothing in the way of inside information. Therefore, the P-G Steelers and Pens blogs are not better than the proverbial guy in a bathrobe working out of his parents' basement. The P-G blogs become completely non-essential.
Typical of the papers, though. Take a good idea and completely screw it up. They're not alone. Rob Biertmepfel's Tribune-Review Pirates blog the other day consisted of their starting lineup for that night's game. Now there's something you can really get into.
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- PG: What day is today? -- PG Reader, 18:33:29 07/18/08 Fri [5]
Did anyone else notice that the date underneath the masthead on today's Post Gazette was THURSDAY, July 18?
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- Trib Total Media trims the fat at Gateway -- student of media, 17:42:12 06/18/08 Wed [4]
So seven editions are being cut at Gateway Newspapers. Doesn't appear that any of the Westmoreland papers are among them. Is this the first step in Trib zoning? Good news is, not many layoffs...
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- A little late, wouldn't you say? -- Critcal, 18:55:29 07/17/08 Thu [9]
Luis Fabregas at the Trib wrote a story today about the baseball player kid from Freedom High School dying of cancer.
A decent story.
But, in typical Trib fashion, they are at least a month, maybe two months late on this. To write the story at this point makes the Trib look terrible, and very late to the party.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_577999.html
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- Well Duh, Trib Westmoreland! -- Farmer Brown, 22:39:30 07/17/08 Thu [2]
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_577934.html
It kinda WOULD make sensea fair held in a rural municipality would have a goal of "promoting agriculture," wouldn't it?
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- Is THIS the future of the PG and Trib? -- Anne A. Filacktick, 21:07:40 07/15/08 Tue [5]
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/business/media/16paper.html
PG's already going to deliver the Trib. So...when will the Trib offer to print the PG on their high-tech gear that yields such crappy results compared to the PG's old Gosses?
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- Mr. Wizard -- Juan Mortime, 13:02:27 06/21/08 Sat [7]
Just looking at the PG and the Trib and am amazed at the vibrant colors of the pictures in the PG, especially considering the age of the PG's converted press. The Trib, with all Scaife's money and high tech Mr. Wizard gadgetry and the chief digital tech's multi-step picture fixin techniques and the PG still blows them away, day after day.
Am I missing something?
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- Why? Why? WHY?? -- Client 9, 21:24:19 07/16/08 Wed [3]
Why do they keep putting her on video? Everybody who reads this post, go to the nearest window and scream out, "I'm fed up and I'm not taking it anymore!"
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/multimedia.php?res=hi&v=2444&1=1
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- Millman, gosh is she terrible -- Fed Up, 21:35:02 07/12/08 Sat [8]
Here is Ms. Millman's latest effort in her continual attempts to let us know how sophisticated she is and, in turn, how much Pittsburgh lacks sophistication-
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08195/896224-51.stm
I am convinced there has never been a more pretentious writer at the PG, and that is saying a lot, a whole lot.
I don't know what else to say other than that I cannot be the only one who feels this way and I have no idea why the editors continue to let her do this.
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- Bonusgate Reporting -- Harrison Burger, 08:21:40 07/16/08 Wed [2]
The Bonusgate stuff seems to be overlooked here. Who did the best job -- Trib, PG, Beaver County Times? Discuss.
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- Rob Owen: As if we care -- Would Steen, 17:29:31 07/14/08 Mon [11]
Just how much garbage does one egocentric TV "critic" have to file?
http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/tunedin/
Take a look at the photo from his visit to the Jim Henson company. Can you guess the real puppet?
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- Funny coincidence -- Kahnflict F. Nterest, 21:16:13 07/15/08 Tue [2]
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_577801.html
Why'd they run this story? Check out the sponsors here
http://www.westmorelandfair.com/
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- Harrowing Harrop does it again! -- L. Nino, 23:49:56 07/12/08 Sat [9]
Apparently Harrop and her doofus colleagues did not learn their lesson, for there's another wonderful interlude with the mealy-mouthed, read-off-a-piece-of-paper "musings" of the "legendary" JoAnne Harrop.
The text teaser says:
"Don’t blow your weekend sitting on the couch. The Trib’s JoAnne Harrop tells you what’s going on in and around Pittsburgh."
This pretty much symbolizes her whole sorry, head-bobbing performance.
Of the Steve Miller Band concert.
"that might be something that might be interesting to you."
Well, duh.
And at the end, she passionately exhorts:
"It's the weekend. Get out and do something and have a good one."
That ought to win the Trib a features award they can tout at the State Association of Rinky-Dink Newspaper Awards.
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- Ridiculous Kennedy-Rooney comparison -- Get a Grip, 12:24:05 07/14/08 Mon [5]
Robert Dvorchak wrote this is Sunday's P-G story:
"The Rooneys are the First Family of Pittsburgh. They're what the Kennedys are to Boston, but without the tabloid scrutiny."
What a crock. The Kennedys have been a political power for 50 years who have helped shape policy in this country. The Rooneys own a football team and some race tracks. I couldn't guess how many millions of dollars the Kennedys have endowed to charitable causes over the years. The Rooneys sell seat licenses in a stadium built with public money.
"First family of Pittsburgh?" Now about Heinz, Mellon or Hillman?
Oh, that's right. They never won a Super Bowl.
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- Jack Kelly vs. the Blog Nerds -- Poxon Both, 05:59:59 06/23/08 Mon [19]
Jack Kelly, the resident rightie at the PG (Ruth Ann Dailey being the junior apprentice) would be undeniably happier, if far less well-compensated, at the Trivial-Review. I find Jack amusing but not worth taking seriously. Dailey is a better writer by far. Kelly, through his writing, reminds me of CIA man Stan Smith, the cartoon lead character of Fox's TV show "American Dad." Based on the incurious nature of Jack's columns, a show starring him, animated or otherwise, would be called "American Dud."
Then about the time I think Jack's gone over the edge, I see this lame bit of yammer from the tandem liberal bloggers known as "2 Political Junkies," who clearly have nothing better to do with their time. Their blog comes off as nearly as dumb as Kelly's, only from the other side. They're also occasional fill-in hosts when Lynn Cullen isn't around to officiate on her daily, neutoric rant and angst-fest on WPTT, alias "the station no one can pick up."
http://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com/
What's hilarious is the fact the "junkies" spent nearly more time ranting about Kelly than he probably spent writing the column. Get a life, people!
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- McCain Meets Dickie and the Board -- Hair It Age, 15:29:52 07/08/08 Tue [5]
Well, first Hillary was Scaife's new best bud. Now if McCain meets with Dickie, Colon, Heyl, Zito and company at DL Clark, will Dick have a NEW best friend, grateful that another Presidential Hopeful took him and his POS paper seriously, or will he decide Johnny Boy is a bit too "big government" for him.
And will Dick bring Beauregard to meet Johnny?
Stay tuned...
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- Monica Haynes: PG Fluff Master -- Green Manalishi, 11:48:18 07/07/08 Mon [8]
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08189/895209-51.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892948-351.stm
Honestly, is this person capable of producing ANYTHING that isn't superficial? Doesn't the PG push enough of this garbage with "Cat's Call" and so on?
I especially liked this insightful excerpt:
"Beer drinking is easy.
Beer making? Not so much.
'Everybody thinks there's beer waterfalls ... everywhere, Rich says. "It's a good work but it's hot, dirty work."
Perhaps she better stick to the tidbits about J Lo, Britney and Brangelina, where she's at the top of her game.
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- So RMS and HRC -- BFF? -- neeno nineo, 15:49:07 03/25/08 Tue [20]
Check out photo #15 in the photo gallery that runs with this article. If I am not mistaken, it is a sign of the pending apocalypse. (BTW, why are the rest of the photos so awful?)
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_558930.html
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- PG goes to oregon? -- mr.pitt, 14:00:49 06/30/08 Mon [14]
Does this make sense to anyone? The PG sends Shelly Anderson to Oregon to cover the US Olympic trails, but didn't send Gerry Dulac to Calif. to cover US Open.
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- McNickle meets his intellectual match! -- Punxsutawney Phil, 13:48:09 07/06/08 Sun [2]
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/mcnickle/s_576033.html
Gee, just when I thought Colon would find a way, in an election year, to remind us how the evil Teresa told him to "shove it" four years ago (his biggest, and likely his only, claim to fame), he comes up with this way to attract public sympathy.
Oh, but the old Colon is never far away. Nope. When he quotes various reader suggestions on how to eradicate his pests, note this sharp bit of commentary:
"And then there is John Schirra of Butler County's Penn Township, upset over our 2006 decision to not endorse a candidate in the 4th Congressional District race:
'Maybe every time you look at the damage your groundhog inflicts on your garden, it will remind you of your collaboration in allowing that big government-loving Jason Altmire to mooch on our tax dollars," he wrote. "As for getting rid of congressional varmints, how about actively supporting Melissa Hart?'
I'll consider that, Mr. Schirra, as soon as Ms. Hart stops canceling editorial boards only to show up in Toledo, Ohio, Block Bugler Web site videos. (Cue the rimshot.) "
Ha. Ha. Seems pretty clear what this is: a bit of petty titillation for the Publisher, who's not been fond of Missy Hart since she supported the Stadium Tax, and also a way to take a jab at the "Toledo, Ohio-based Block Bugler."
Pure "nya-nya," that line is clearly aimed at giving old Dickie-Boy a Sunday laugh at the competitor he obsesses over. Actually, it does as much damage to the PG as driving past their downtown building, sticking one's tongue out or flipping the bird. Still, Trib apologists will claim that "no, nothing in the paper is crafted to keep Scaife happy." Right...
Colon can't mask the fact that while PG website videos look professional and have sponsors, the Trib's look more like "America's Funniest Home Videos" ("Weekend with 'J'"). At best WTAE or the Heritage Foundation might sign on as Trib video sponsors.
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- Self-promotin' Sam Bennett--at it again -- Would Steen, 20:27:23 07/03/08 Thu [8]
Apparently the loss of her daily PG webcast hostess job did not hinder Ms. Unfunny's quest to promote herself, her nonexistent talents and her meaningless newspaper columnist club president status) whenever the mood strikes her.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08185/894604-151.stm
Ha. Ha.
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- Cat Takes a Middle-Aged Divorcee Shopping For a Vibrator -- Duracell, 11:52:24 07/02/08 Wed [7]
This is why I love the Cat!
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08183/893791-51.stm
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- Hey! Gretchen's Grillin' 'SHROOM-BURGERS! -- Chuck Wagon, 02:10:52 06/26/08 Thu [8]
http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoid=100713
Skewered asparagus--wow! With parsley straight outta her garden! And the kewl monster stainless steel grill again! With big Vidalia onions, and lotsa views of her palatial estate in Ben Avon (she mentioned the location!).
And them great bongo drums!
I did enjoy watching one of the wooden skewers she put on the grill catch fire, after she warned they might do that. She says the burger was lo-cal if you didn't eat the bun! She mentioned "your favorite buns," then immediately cringed when she realized how lame that sounded.
Thanks, Gretchen. I'll stick with Whoppers, but these presentations are a laugh a minute. If they start awarding Golden Quills for Multimedia humor, you got it, girl!
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- Where is all the TV/Radio talk? -- Jdoh, 23:58:43 07/03/08 Thu [2]
I see the newspapers - especially the Trib - taking a beating on this site, but how about the TV or radio stations?
What's the deal?
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- Beltway Speaks! or Sermon on the Boulevard -- Would Steen, 20:36:46 06/25/08 Wed [5]
Message from Beantown Da--I mean Beltway Dave.
http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=100707
Isn't it nice that he deigned to deliver this friendly pronouncement from his perch atop Mt. Olympus? Now, we can bitch at the PG bloggers and so on. Betcha some of the pithy comments made over here wouldn't last five minutes were they posted over there.
And isn't ol' Beltway a warm guy? Hell, he makes John "Cranky" Craig, his predecessor,sound like Mister Rogers!
And all the while I figured he'd be angling for the NBC Washington Bureau Chief vacancy left by Russert's passing...
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- Another newspaper web video, another reason to not put print folk on camera -- Client 9, 19:45:09 06/19/08 Thu [18]
Why is she always peeking to the left? And can she stop tilting her head on her right shoulder? Tune in to the next episode of "Terrible Newspaper Web Videos"
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_573593.html
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- Re: Another newspaper web video, another reason to not put print folk on camera -- TV Man, 20:33:55 06/19/08 Thu
- Re: Another newspaper web video, another reason to not put print folk on camera -- L. Nino, 22:25:23 06/19/08 Thu
- Re: Another newspaper web video, another reason to not put print folk on camera -- Kid Tribbie, 01:15:10 06/20/08 Fri
- But first, a word from our sponsor -- Would Steen, 05:59:52 06/21/08 Sat
- Even worse: the PG's own Rachael Ray -- Bobby Flay's doppelganger, 01:25:48 06/22/08 Sun
- Re: Another newspaper web video, another reason to not put print folk on camera -- Getout N. DuSomething, 02:11:42 06/29/08 Sun
- Trib-Kidz in action or, what's missing here? -- Hair It Age, 00:24:57 06/28/08 Sat [3]
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_575072.html
Gee...normally I thought it wise to include the NAME of the school district being covered in a story. Perhaps Ms.Hayes and her editors assume everyone knows that. As far as I know, there's no school district aroudn here that just goes by the name of "The School District."
Or maybe it's a CONTEST!!!
Guess the name of the school board Hayes and her dumb-dumb editors never bothered to include in her story! Win a sub to the Valley News-Disgrace and Sunday Trib for SIX MONTHS!
Losers get a TWO YEAR sub!
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- Rocco's best bud comes through -- Heircutz, 12:17:50 06/17/08 Tue [5]
Nice to see Trib kept everything objective in their Rocco Mediate coverage by letting Trib Greensburg sportswriter Mike Dudurich, who's been Rocco's # 1 fan since he started, slobber and fawn all over his good buddy. Mikey acquitted himself with the butt-kissing eloquence one has grown to expect from one of the Trib's lesser lights.
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- For you few still certain the Trib has values or ethics -- Hair It Age, 18:41:03 06/21/08 Sat [6]
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A48121
Still Dickie's playtoy. Still standing orders: "Keep the Old Man Happy."
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